Farrowing and finishing unit



June 29, 1965 |-|.'MAGRUDER 3,191,578

FARROWING AND FINISHING UNIT Filed Nov. 14, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. G. H. MAGRUDER June 1965 G. H. MAGRUDER 3,

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G.H. MAGRUDER June 29, 1965 G. H. MAGRUDER FARROWING AND FINISHING UNIT Filed Nov. 14, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. G. H. MAGRUDER June 29, 1965 4 G. H. MAGRUDER 3, FARROWING AND FINISHING UNIT Filed Nov. 14, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. G. H MAGRU DER United States Patent 3,191,578 FARROWING AND FINISHING UNIT Gaylord H. Magruder, 3332 N. 69th St., Lincoln, Nebr. Filed Nov.14, 1963, Ser. No. 323,743 2 Claims. (Cl. 119-20) This invention relates to pig farrowing units and more particularly it is an object of this invention to provide an efficient farrowing and finishing unit in which the small pigs can be both farrowed and finished for gaining increased chances of survival which comes from elimination of the necessity of removing them from familiar surroundings.

Still another object is to provide a unit in which many sows and many litters of small pigs can be handled at once with each sow separated from the other sows, with each litter separated from other litters, whereby the natural tendency toward a social order in the small pigs will not result in tension between small pigs of different litters, the unit etficiently operating with a single creep feeder centrally located for serving each of preferably six litters.

A further object is to provide the building as described in which a central heater serves all litters and is located in a nesting area where it will attract the small pigs away from the sow into a safe area partitioned from the sow where the small pigs will not be in danger of being killed by the sow lying on them.

A further object is to provide the building as described so that after the small pigs are larger and the sows can be removed, the small pigs can then occupy areas which were formerly for the sows, with the former nesting areas occupied by feed bafiles which direct quantites of feed into feed troughs of a much larger total size than the creep feeder formerly used.

A further object is to provide a unit which serves a double purpose and saves space by serving bothduring farrowing and finishing in order to eliminate the necessity for a separate building to be used after weaning.

Still another object is to provide an unusually efficient geometrical arrangement for space conservation in such a unit. i

A further object is to provide the unit with adjustable partitions adapted for assuming positions for use during farrowing and other positions for use during finishing.

Still another object is to provide an effective sewage drainage system serving all pens.

Another object is to provide a building as described which is provided with effective drainage for elimination for the maintenance of sanitary sow areas and small pig nests.

A particular object is to provide a building as described in which vertical panels are arranged for fencing access areas at doorways so that the little pigs and sows cannot escape when an operator opens the door for tending them, certain adjustable panels making it possible for smaller access areas operating in the same way to serve during finishing.

Yet a further object is. to provide recessed drinking water troughs spanning sow areas whereby two sow areas are provided with water by a single trough filling.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, drawings and claims, the scope of the invention not being limited to the drawings themselves as the drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating a way in which the principles of this invention can be applied.

Other embodments of the invention utilizing the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the 3,191,578 Patented June 29, 1965 art without departing from the present invention and purview of the appendedclaims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the unit of this invention with its roof removed and with a portion of the roof of the nesting area for small pigs broken away to show partitions beneath; the view showing the position of pen panels during farrowing.

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the position of the pen panels during finishing and also illustrating the position of feed battles and troughs during finishing. y l

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 and showing a unit as. arranged for farrowing.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the central portion of the pen as it would be seen in perspective partially from above, with parts arranged for finishing as in FIG- URE 2, parts of panels being broken away and a part of an inner annular wall being broken away, and a conical center cover being raised upward from its normal position to illustrate parts beneath.

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of a feed baflle and trough assembly.

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation of the assembly of FIGURE 5 with a portion of an inner annular wall being shown in dottedlines.

' FIGURE 7 is a detail showing one way in which an inner end of one of the panels can be connected to a post of the inner annular wall.

' FIGURE 8 is a top plan view of the detail of FIGURE 7 showing also an example of the connection of another panel to the same post.

a The farrowing. and finishing unit of this invention is generally indicated at 10 in FIGURE 3 and comprises an upright outer wall 12 of annular shape in top plan view as best seen in FIGURE 1.

The outer wall 12 is preferably of a hexagonal shape in top plan for defining a plurality of sides or side sections 16. Doorways 18 are provided in alternate ones of the sides 16, each doorway having a door 20 as indicated in dotted lines in FIGURE 1.

The outer wall 12 is mounted on a foundation 24, which is best seen in FIGURE 3, also forms the outer wall of a trough generally indicated at 28, and the trough 28 is open .at its upper side and a grating 30 is provided, as best seen in FIGURE 1, for preventing animals from falling into the trough 28. The grating 30 is sufficiently open to receive sewage therethrough and the upper surface of the bottom wall 34 of the trough 28 preferably inclines toward an outlet pipe 40 which extends outwardly to a drainage area in the ground surrounding the building.

The outer wall 12 is of polygonal shape with flat side sections 16 for economy of construction. It is preferred that the panels 16 be equal in size and that they be arranged in hexagonal shape in top plan View.

A roof 50 covers the side wall 12 and the roof 50 has a ventilator mesh opening 60 through its center having an exhaust fan 62 therein and a housing 64 covering its upper side, the housing 64 being open for the passage of air therethrough.

The unit 10 further has an upright central wall inside the outer wall 12 and preferably of hexagonal shape in top plan view and having six flat sides 74 which rest upon the floor 44.

3 During the farrowing stage piglets are free to pass from sow areas S through the piglet openings 78 to gain access to a creep feeder generally indicated at 100 in FIGURE 3.

The feeder ltltl is provided with a plurality of feeder troughs 106 best seen in FIGURE 1 which surround the lower portion of the upwardly extending creep feeder 100.

The upper'portion lllltl of the creep feeder 100 serves as a feed reservoir and feed is free to flow t-herethrough down to the troughs 1636, in a conventional manner, the feed passing through openings 130, best seen in FIGURE 3 to move outwardly into the troughs 106.

A plurality of vertical dividers 150 extend generally radially outwardly from the creep feeder N0, the dividers 151i together forming a divider assembly 160 which is disposed within the central wall 70 and divides the space within the central wall '70 during farrowing. There is a plurality of piglet rests 180, each rest 180 having access to a different one of the piglet openings 78.

A plurality of insulating platform members 200 are provided each of substantially frusto-triangular shape and these are disposed above the floor to provide easily cleanable and removable platforms which insulate the piglets from the colder concrete floor 44.

A sub-roof generally indicated at 240 is provided and is supported by the central annular wall 70 for covering the space enclosed by the divider assembly.

The sub-roof Mil ie provided with a heating unit 244 which is removably disposed in an opening 246 in'the sub-roof 249 so" that upon its removal feed can be passed through the opening 246 into the upper portion 110.

The heater 244 is preferably capable of supplying radial heat and is preferably a resistance heater of the electrical type. v

A plurality of panels 260 and 262 are attached to and extend outwardly from the central annular wall 79. The

panels 260 are permanently fixed to the divider assembly and also to the interior of the respective sides 16 of the outer wall 12 in a suitable manner later described. The panels 269 extend from alternate corners of the hexagonal central wall 70 and extend over water tanks 280 disposed beneath the panels 260, the water tanks 230 thereby be mg supported by a grating 30 and being accessible to respective ones of two adjacent sow areas S.

The panels 262 extend outwardly from those corners 2% of the central wall 70 which are disposed between the corners 2% from which the stationary panels 260 extend. v

The adjustable panels 262 are disposed in pairs, each panel 262 or pair being divergently disposed at approxi-' mately 60 degrees with respect to each other, extending outwardly from a respective corner 290 and being attacked to a respective outer wall side 16, by a means later described, on opposite sides of a doorway opening 18.

The adjustable barrier panels 262 are each comprised of an inner and outer section 300 and 302 which latter are fixed together by means not shown for their telescopic adjustment to vary the combined length of the panel 262.

Between each two adjustable barrier panels 262 is a triangular area A called an access area. These areas A r are areas in which sows and piglets are not kept and therefore permit an attendant to enter through the door 20 in the area A without danger of any piglet escaping throhgh the door 18 since the barrier panels 262 and 269 are all tight enough to prevent piglets from passing therethrough. The access area A allows the attendant to have a place to standfree of sows and piglets and from which he can reach over into the sow areas S or into the piglet nest 200 for feeding the sows or attending to the piglets. It is possible to hose the floor 44 down with water to keep the floor clean and provide sanitary conditions far superior to having pigs. and sows wallowing in mud. V The tendency of sows and piglets to go to the grating 30 for elimination maintains the piglet next 2% and sowar'eas S clean.

The heat from the heater 244 and the presence of food in the feeder 19 both tend to draw the piglets into the next 200 where they are out of danger and where the sows are not likely to accidentally lay on them since the sows are separated from the piglets nest by the central wall 70.

After farrowing the unit can be arranged as shown in FIGURE 2 in which each stationary panel 26% remains in place and in which the outer end of one of the access area barrier panels 262 is caused to extend directly radially outwardly to the center of a respective side 16 to which it is fixed by a means later described.

During finishing the other access area barrier panel 262 has its parts 3% and3tl2 telescope into a short length such that the parts are complteely overlapped with each other as best seen in FIGURE 2, the completely collapsed panel 262' is then placed as shown in FIGURE 2 with one end at a point 35% at a medial position between the ends of the adjacent panel barrier 262 and with the outer end of the collapsed panel 262 disposed against the respective side 16 of the outer wall 12 on the opposite side of a respective doorway 18 from the outer end of the adjacent'barrier panel 262 whereby each two adjacent panels 262 span at doorway openings. 16 preventing piglets from escaping through the doorway 18 for providing three finishing access areas F, one adjacent each doorway openings 18.

An attendant by entering through the finishing access area F can then serve piglets by reaching them or if necessary climbing over panels to reach them.

During finishing no sows are present in the piglet finishing area P whereby as the pigs grow larger and need more space they may have the entire area P in which to roam.

It will be seen that during finishing there are-six piglet finishing areas, alternate areas being bounded respectively by a former access area barrier panel 262 on one side and a former permanent panel 260 on the other side, these latter piglet finishing areas being designated at P although all areas P and P are together referred to as piglet finishing areas P.

Other alternate finishing areas P are bounded by permanent panels 260 on one side, collapsed panels 302 forming part of another side and. an inner portion of a collapsible barrier panel 262 forming a pa-rt of the last described side.

The remainder of all finishing areas P and P are formed by the inner and outer surface of the central wall 7t).

The conversion to finishing areas the sub-roof 240 and its heater 244 are removed, insulating sections 2% of the nest can be removed and the creep feeder can either be removed or left in place as desired and depending upon its particular vertical height.

Also for conversion the finishing bafiie assemblies generally indicated at 80 in FIGURES 5 and 6 are put in place extending under the piglet Openings 78 as regards their trough portion Silt) and with upwardly and inwardly inclining bafile surfaces 102 forming the back sides of the trough Still and extending upwardly and inwardly. The bafi'le portions 80 are provided with triangular inner end portions having divergent sides 508 of angles adapted to snugly fit against adjacent ones of the divider walls 150.

The pointed inner ends 510 of the baffles will not exactly contact eachother because the divider walls 15% hold them apart whereby certain cracks or openings 510 are left which are covered by a cap 512 which can be of generally conical shape with a pointed upper end 514, a hollow interior for reception ofthe cap 512 on the inner ends of the barrier walls 89.

As thus described with the point of the cap 514 upwardly disposed grain can be poured on the top of a cap URE 6, and outwardly into piglet finishing areas P and P for the handy feeding of piglets being finished.

Referring to FIGURE 6 a support 540 is fixed to the under side of each baifie 502 for holding the latter at an actue angle extending upwardly and inwardly with the supports S40 and trough 509 resting on the floor 44.

Referring to FIGURE 1 it will be seen that the stationary panel 250 can be fixed to post 292 and to the outer wall side 16 in any suitable permanent manner.

However, the way of mounting the collapsible barrier panels 262 is shown in FIGURES 7 and 8, in which a respective barrier panel 262 has its inner end provided with a pair of hinge assembles generally indicated at 600, the latter being vertically spaced apart and provided with collapsible hinge pins 610, with inner portions 620 of each hinge assembly attached to a respective post 290 of the central Wall 70. The hinge pins 610 are vertical for the vertical swinging of the respective panel 262 about the respective post 290.

It will be seen that the hinge assembly 600 can be also used to attach the outer ends of the collapsible panels 262 to the inside of the outer wall 12 whereby the details are not believed necessary to be shown in the smallest scale views of FIGURES l and 2.

It will be seen that each panel 262 or 260 can be built up of a plurality of vertical members 650 and horizontal members 652 as best seen in FIGURES 4 and 8.

It will be seen that the present invention has provided a convenient and sanitary facility for feeding and administering to sows and piglets from birth to finish stage and for fulfilling the objectives above set forth.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a farrowing and finishing unit constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use, by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention can be changed and modified without departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for this reason, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice, except as claimed.

I claim:

1. A farrowing and finishing unit comprising: an outer upright wall of annular shape in top plan view, an upright central wall inside said outer wall and of annular shape in top plan view and provided with a plurality of horizontally spaced piglet openings thereunder through each of which piglets of a same litter can pass respectively, a plurality of panels attached to and extending outwardly from said central annular wall and extending said outer annular wall and said panels forming with said central and outer walls a plurality of farrowing units each able to maintain separate a respective sow and litter, means mounting said panels in said positions, a divider assembly disposed within said central wall and dividing the space enclosed by said central wall during farrowing into a plurality of feed receiving areas divided apart in which certain ones of said panels are movably attached to said inner annular wall and to said outer annular wall, said certain panels being collapsible for the reduction and extension of their length when desired, said certain collapsible panels being arranged in pairs, the panels of a pair being connected to said inner wall at points closely adjacent each other for use during finishing, one panel of each pair being pivotally attached to said inner annular wall and disposed in an extended position for forming one wall of an access area, and the other panel of a pair being removably attachable to said inner annular wall and being collapsed to a reduced length for forming one wall of a finishing access area by connection to a medial point of the other collapsible panel of said pair and for extending from said medial point to said outer annular wall whereby said finishing access area is defined by said second collapsible panel, said first collapsible panel and said outer wall, said outer wall having an access door therethrough disposed during farrowing in a position for access to said farrowing access area and disposed during finishing in a position for access to said finishing access area.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which feed troughs are disposed respectively one at each piglet opening during finishing, said feed troughs each having a feed baflle extending upwardly therefrom and inwardly away from the inner side of said inner annular wall, said upright divider walls and said feed bafile substantially filling the space within said inner annular wall as seen in top plan view except for an opening at the center of such space, said divider walls extending less than completely toward the center of the space within said inner annular wall in order to provide space for a creep feeder to be used during farrowing and a cap disposed above said feed baflles and covering the said opening at the inner ends of said bafiles so that when feed is dropped upon said cap it will fall downwardly over said baflles to said troughs.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,709,098 4/29 Karley 119-16 1,711,004 4/ 29 Youngman 11928 1,721,942 7/29 Booker 11916 2,222,680 1 1/ 40 Morris et a1. 119--16 2,255,806 9/41 Overson l1920 2,523,615 9/50 Fell 119-28 3,042,000 7/ 62 McMurray et a1. 119-20 SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examiner.

HUGH R. CHAMBLEE, Examiner. 

1. A FARROWING AND FINISHING UNIT COMPRISING: AN OUTER UPRIGHT WALL OF ANNULAR SHAPE IN TOP PLAN VIER, AN UPRIGHT CENTRAL WALL INSIDE SAID OUTER WALL AND OF ANNULAR SHAPE IN TOP PLAN VIEW AND PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF HORIZONTALLY SPACED PIGLET OPENINGS THEREUNDER THROUGH EACH OF WHICH PIGLETS OF A SAME LITTER CAN PASS RESPECTIVELY, A PLURALITY OF PANELS ATTACHED TO AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID CENTRAL ANNULAR WALL AND EXTENDING SAID OUTER ANNULAR WALL AND SAID PANELS FORMING WITH SAID CENTRAL AND OUTER WALLS A PLURALITY OF FARROWING UNITS EACH ABLE TO MAINTAIN SEPARATE A RESPECTIVE SOW AND LITTER, MEANS MOUNTING SAID PANELS IN SAID POSITIONS, A DIVIDER ASSEMBLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CENTRAL WALL AND DIVIDING THE SPACE ENCLOSED BY SAID CENTRAL WALL DURING FARROWING INTO A PLURALITY OF FEED RECEIVING AREAS DIVIDED APART IN WHICH CERTAIN ONES OF SAID PANELS ARE MOVABLY ATTACHED TO SAID INNER ANNULAR WALL AND TO SAID OUTER ANNULAR WALL, SAID CERTAIN PANELS BEING COLLAPSIBLE FOR THE REDUCTION AND EXTENSION OF THEIR LENGTH WHEN DESIRED, SAID CERTAIN COLLAPSIBLE PANELS BEING ARRANGED IN PAIRS, THE PANELS OF A PAIR BEING CONNECTED TO SAID INNER WALL AT POINTS CLOSELY ADJACENT EACH OTHER FOR USE DURING FINISHING, ONE PANEL OF EACH PAIR BEING PIVOTALLY ATTACHED TO SAID INNER ANNULAR WALL AND DISPOSED IN AN EXTENDED POSITION FOR FORMING ONE WALL OF AN ACCESS AREA, AND THE OTHER PANEL OF A PAIR BEING REMOVABLY ATTACHABLE TO SAID INNER ANNULAR WALL AND BEING COLLAPSED TO A REDUCED LENGTH FOR FORMING ONE WALL OF A FINISHING ACCESS AREA BY CONNECTION TO A MEDIAL POINT OF THE OTHER COLLAPSIBLE PANEL OF SAID PAIR AND FOR EXTENDING FROM SAID MEDIAL POINT TO SAID OUTER ANNULAR WALL WHEREBY SAID FINISHING ACCESS AREA IS DEFINED BY SAID SECOND COLLAPSIBLE PANEL, SAID FIRST COLLAPSIBLE PANEL AND SAID OUTER WALL, SAID OUTER WALL HAVING AN ACCESS DOOR THERETHROUGH DISPOSED DURING FARROWING IN A POSITION FOR ACCESS TO SAID FARROWING ACCESS AREA AND DISPOSED DURING FINISHING IN A POSITION FOR ACCESS TO SAID FINISHING ACCESS AREA. 